Comparison of epidural and intravenous route for acute and chronic postoperative pain control in patients with gynecological malignancy

Abstract

Objectives: This study compared the effects of patient-controlled epidural and intravenous analgesia on acute and chronic postoperative pain in patients who were operated on for gynecological malignancy. Methods: Postoperatively, patient-controlled analgesia was administered via epidural route to Group 1 and the intravenous route to Group 2. Pain was evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) in the acute phase at postoperative 24 hours and at 6 months in the chronic phase. Results: The VAS scores at 24 hours were lower in Group 1 than in Group 2 (3.29 vs 3.93; p<0.05). The VAS scores at 6 months were 2.03 in Group 1 and 2.53 in Group 2, indicating no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). There was no significant difference in the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs pain scale scores at 6 months (p>0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that epidural and intravenous analgesia had a similar effect regarding the chronicity of pain but better outcomes were achieved with epidural analgesia in the acute stage.